“You like pictures?” I blurt out. Smooth Monty, real smooth.
“I mean... Who doesn’t?” Evie responds, her lips in a straight line, but I can tell by the glimmer in her eye that she’s trying to hold in a laugh.
Sighing, I continue, “I mean, taking pictures. You like taking pictures?”
Her mouth pops open, before she closes her mouth, looking down at her hands. “Yeah. I do. I actually used to have a Canon EOS Rebel. It was one of my favorite things to do.”
“Used to?” I ask her. If she said it was her favorite thing, then why doesn’t she have it anymore? I’m curious, and invested now. The photos she took of the boys for Josie were stunning. I have one of them as my lock screen right now.
“Yeah. It broke when I was moving out of my last place.” She chews her bottom lip between her teeth, and looks up at me. “Money’s been tight so I just haven’t got around to replacing it yet.” With a shrug of her shoulders she tries to brush it off.
I can’t help but feel that there is more to the story, but I don’t push.
We sit in a comfortable silence together, I get the coffee cups rinsed and put into the dishwasher and Evie takes out some frozen meat to defrost for supper. We work in tandem getting a small breakfast put together as we wait for Josie and Hayes to join us.
It’s weird in a sense that it’s not. Where Evie’s presence in our life doesn’t feel like an extra person who’s helping out or our employee. She feels like a piece that could easily fit into our lives.
Maybe even make it better.
Chapter Fifteen
Evie
June: Six Months Postpartum
It’sSaturdayafternoonandI’m laying on my couch, a spoonful of Nutella in my mouth and my favorite crime show on the TV. I couldn’t tell you what episode or what is going on, because I’m not actually watching.
No, instead I’m perusing through Amori the newest lgbtq+ app. I know I said to Harper I was done with dating apps, but one of my old co-workers told me about Amori and I thought I’d give it one more try.
I’m currently two days into flirting with this girl named Kim. She seems okay, the conversation has been flowing and there haven't been any red flags that I’ve noticed.
So, when she asks to go for coffee at Ruthie’s later today– I think why not? What’s the worst thing that can happen?
“Oh my god, Harper. I couldn’t have gotten out of Ruthie’s fast enough.” My phone pinched between my ear and my shoulder as I walk down the boardwalk. “I mean she was cute, and we had some stuff in common, but talking face to face. It’s like there was a whole cheer team with red flags following her around.”
“She couldn’t have been that bad, Evie.” Harper responds, always trying to be the reasonable one. That’s what I get for calling my bestie who is currently with the love of her life who literally worships her.
“Harps– I haven’t even got to the good part yet.” I deadpan. “We got a couple appetizers to share. There was still a bit left over. She asked if she could have them, and I said sure. You know how I am with leftovers, half the time I don’t finish them.” I pull a piece of gum from my bag and quickly pop it in my mouth.
“Anyway, so she pulls out her own plastic containers and begins packing them all. Saying she was going to take them home to her dog. You know, that makes sense. I’m sure you’d do that for Winnie right?”
“Well I mean, yeah I bring home leftovers for Winnie.” Harper surmises.
“Right. Normal, or so I thought. She then asked me if I wanted to see a picture of her dog.” I pause for dramatic effect. I like suspense, what can I say? “She opens up her phone and passes it to me showing me the picture of said dog. It was a stuffed animal, Harper. A. Stuffed. Animal.”
There’s silence on the other line, “what?” Harper chokes.
“I don’t know. After that I just paid the bill and got the fuck out of there.” I heave a sigh, maybe I need to take a back seat to dating and just focus on saving up to get a little more stable. Josie and Monty pay well, I almost have enough for a down payment on a used car. I keep my eye on the ads to try and find the perfect car. “Anyways, what’s new with you? What’s been going on?”
“There isn’t much going on with us…” She lets that statement hang for a few seconds before she continues, “but, Dalton called us the other night.”
“Color me intrigued, spill.” I encourage her to keep going.
Harper then goes on to tell me how Dalton called Xavier the other night. Telling him that Chloe had left him and the baby. There was a mention of a letter she left behind saying that she needed better attention and if Dalton wasn’t going to give it then she was going to find it somewhere else.
“Wow, I knew Chloe was a bitch, but I didn’t think she’d abandon her baby.” I have no respect for that. I knew Xavier had held out hope that becoming a mom would be a waking point for her and she would turn her act around. She took having a baby as a threat to the attention she felt she should receive, and that’s not okay.
“I know, it’s so sad.” Harper sighs. “So, Dalton’s been stressed out and he’s really struggling. Not necessarily over the break up, but just the new twist of being a single parent, you know?”
